Canton Zug, 12.04.2021

Various restaurants in Canton Zug are to close

The popular Capra restaurant on the Sinserstrasse in Cham is closing because of the Corona pandemic. The building owner would like to continue to maintain an offer for the public, however. "Monsieur Baguette" in Zug and the "Sonne" in Hagendorn are also closing their doors forever.

The lights are going out in yet another restaurant. And not only temporarily due to the current corona measures, but definitively. The tenant of the "Capra" on the Sinserstrasse in Cham recently informed his guests on Facebook about the closure of the restaurant: "We are very grateful for the many beautiful moments and memories we have experienced with you and will carry them in our hearts forever!"

Poor prospects according to business plan
Host Steffen Trippacher-Genner, who has run the restaurant in the centre of Cham since the beginning of 2013, did not respond to a enquiry from the newspaper. Hans Baumgartner, President of Buuregnossi Cham, who owns the property, has provided some information, however. "We very much regret the tenant's decision," he explains. "The restaurant was very much appreciated and the members of the cooperative was also happy to meet each other there."

According to Baumgartner, the reasons for the closure are to be found in the Corona pandemic. "According to the business plan, the prospects were very poor." This is despite the fact that the "Capra" also offered takeaway and requested Corona assistance from the canton. "That was obviously not enough," says Baumgartner, and emphasised that the cooperation between ownership and tenants has always been good. "We offered our help and did everything we could to keep the café open." In concrete terms, this means that the Buuregnossi had waived some of the rent, and had also partially reduced it. "We were very generous. But of course we cannot influence the tenant's decision to definitely close."

There are already interested parties
The Buuregnossi now wants to look forward. "We are putting all our efforts into looking for new tenants," says Hans Baumgartner, and there are already some interested parties. One thing is certain: there will be an offer with a lot of customers at Sinserstrasse 8 in the future. The building is in a good location in the core zone. Baumgartner continues: "But we are open to new concepts, it doesn't necessarily have to be a café."

This could mean, for example, that a farm shop or an experience gastronomy are also possible. "The concept has to fit with Cham and the store mix in the village centre," says Baumgartner in conclusion. He hopes to be able to communicate soon what will happen with the restaurant.

The "Capra" on the Sinserstrasse in Cham has been a popular meeting place over the last eight years
The Restaurant Sonne in Hagendorn
Photos: Stefan Kaiser

"Monsieur Baguette" closes in Zug
For more than 25 years, the Speck Bakery has operated the bistro at the intersection of Baarerstrasse and the Gubelstrasse in Zug. Now it's over. But the decision is only indirectly linked to the pandemic.

Sandwiches instead of tarte flambee: the posters on the window panes of the former Monsieur Baguette bistro in the restaurant below the Migros Fitness Centre are unmistakable. A branch of the Subway fast food chain will soon move in here. As the online portal "Zentralplus"  reports, Confisérie Speck, as the owner of the bistro, has had to contend with a decline in sales, and the location is also very expensive. The decision was therefore only indirectly related to the pandemic, says  co-owner Peter Speck.

The employees have been informed of the plans for some time, with internal solutions being sought for continued employment. Three employees had nevertheless had to be released.

The Subway sandwich shop is already known in Zug, and was the previous tenant of the "Burger King" premises opposite the Metalli. Sandwiches were sold there some years ago, and the fast food chain is now trying again nearby.

The last Hagendorn landlady gives up: "I’ll certainly miss my guests"
The pandemic and a lack of agreement with the building owner has also prompted Raphaela Bind to close down the "Sonne" restaurant in Hagendorn at the end of September, after seven years. She does not know what will happen, or whether the "Sonne" will be leased again and another host will continue the business. "I hope so for the village community. The "Sonne" is the last restaurant in Hagendorn," she points out. The "Rebstock" had to give way to a modern apartment building some years ago, and the "Leue" no longer exists.